A week had passed since I was reborn into this world, a reality I recognized as the world of Naruto. During these days, my life had been reduced to the needs of a newborn: sleeping, eating, and crying. I couldn't do much else, and while this was perfectly normal for a baby, it was frustrating for someone like me. I had the memories of my past life, after all.
My name had been Benjamín, and I was an ordinary young man who used to dream of adventure, battles, and mysteries. Now, I was Kiseki Haruno, a helpless infant in a new, yet familiar, world.
Lying in my crib, I opened my eyes and looked around the room. My mother, Mebuki Haruno, was cleaning nearby, humming a soft tune. Her presence brought warmth and comfort. Even though I had been here for such a short time, I could already feel her love and care.
As Kiseki stretched, his mother, Mebuki, noticed he was awake and approached him with a warm smile.
—"Oh! You look so adorable, Kiseki. Are you done sleeping? You must be hungry," she said, gently stroking his cheek. "Let me finish here, and I'll feed you right away."
Kiseki watched her with eyes full of tenderness. In his previous life, he had been an orphan who had to fend for himself after a tragic accident claimed his family when he was just three years old. Now, receiving Mebuki's unconditional love, he felt something he had never experienced before: a home.
Despite being just a baby, his mind was already analyzing his surroundings. He closely observed both Mebuki and his father, Kizashi. They seemed like ordinary civilians, but he noticed a certain skill in their movements, as if they had the potential to be ninjas—something that didn't align with the image he remembered of the Haruno family in the series. This gave him a glimmer of hope: maybe, with enough effort, he could become someone capable of facing the dangers ahead.
Kiseki reflected as he looked around his room. He knew he was living in a time before the start of the story he had admired so much in his past life. He had deduced this after noticing that the Fourth Hokage was still in power. This meant the attack of the Kyūbi had yet to happen.
A key detail had caught his attention a few days ago when he first arrived home with his mother: he had seen a young boy on the street. At first glance, he estimated the boy to be about two or three years old. He recognized him as Itachi Uchiha, confirming that he was three or four years older than the main characters of the series. After all, he remembered that Sasuke and Itachi had a five- or six-year age gap.
—"If I'm three or four years older than Naruto and the others, that means the Kyūbi attack is near…" Kiseki thought with concern.
As he pondered this, another thought shook him.
—"Wait a moment. If my parents are the same as Sakura's, it means she might not be born if they decide not to have more children."
The fear of altering the course of history due to his appearance consumed him for a moment. If something changed, even a small detail—like his parents deciding not to have another child—Sakura might never be born. And although many underestimated her role, Kiseki knew she had been an important influence on Naruto early in the story. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to use his knowledge of the plot wisely.
—"I can't afford to slack off. I need to prepare for what's coming," he told himself.
For now, however, he decided to enjoy the love of his new family, knowing that these moments would be his greatest strength in facing the uncertain future ahead.
While Mebuki finished cleaning, she saw Kizashi approaching and picking up Kiseki in his arms.
—"Kiseki! Awake already, sleepyhead?" he said as he lovingly touched his cheek.
Kiseki, happy to receive his father's affection, couldn't help but fall into a trance again, similar to what he experienced the first time he was near him. He observed how the pink crystal necklace Kizashi wore seemed to glow intensely—or so he thought. He felt a strange pull toward it and wanted to touch it as if something was calling him. Before he could, his mother entered the room.
—"Kizashi, hand Kiseki to me. He needs to eat now."
—"Alright, love," Kizashi replied as he left the room.
While Kiseki ate, he couldn't stop thinking about the unusual feeling he experienced every time his father was nearby, especially when he wore that necklace. "It must be that necklace making me feel something strange… but what could it be?" he thought. He decided to ignore it for now; after all, there wasn't much he could do as a baby.
A year had passed since Kiseki's birth. During that time, he had learned to walk and say a few words, surprising his parents. It wasn't normal for a baby to be so intelligent, but they chose to ignore this fact and simply felt proud of him. Throughout that year, Kiseki had tried several times to touch his father's necklace but couldn't, as Kizashi never took it off. Finally, on Kiseki's first birthday, Kizashi decided to give it to him.
—"Happy birthday, Kiseki. For your first year, I'll give you the family relic."
Kiseki watched as his father removed the necklace he had longed for since his rebirth. When he finally touched it and put it on, he was full of excitement, thinking he would discover something. But reality was different. He felt nothing. Although he felt a little disappointed, he smiled at his father and said:
—"Tank you, Papa!"
Kizashi and Mebuki smiled. It was a special moment, and they could understand him perfectly, even though his words sounded slightly jumbled. It was impressive for a one-year-old.
After the celebration ended, Mebuki took Kiseki to his crib. Then she went to the dining room, where Kizashi was tidying up after the birthday party.
Out of nowhere, Mebuki spoke, worried:
—"Was it necessary to give him that necklace so soon?"
Kizashi turned and replied:
—"It was necessary, love. I think you've also noticed how Kiseki always goes into a trance whenever he's near that necklace. Don't worry, I removed the little chakra it had, so it shouldn't be dangerous for him."
—"I hope so…" Mebuki said. Then she continued, "Do you think he has the lineage?"
—"Maybe. After all, the Haruno were once a clan—not as prominent as the Senju or Yamanaka, but we had our skills. The clan wars nearly wiped us out, so we decided to become a civilian clan to ensure our survival. If he does have the lineage, we need to keep it a secret. We don't want him falling into Danzo Shimura's hands. If my father hadn't been so strong, I'm sure even I would have been captured to exploit the clan's power. Luckily, I didn't awaken it…" he finished with a sigh.
Mebuki interrupted him with a kiss and said:
—"You always overthink, love. Relax. Kiseki is still very young for us to worry about that. Everything in due time."
Kizashi smiled at his wife's words and said:
—"You're right, love. Let's get some rest."